Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be
long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
Standing on the side of a hospital bed comfortably
sandwiched between two bunk beds in a second floor apartment, I heard the most
profound statement.
One of my teens from church that is unreservedly fighting
for his life, rested under a Spiderman blanket sipping water through a straw
and talking after a few swallows. His body is emaciated and each word that
loosely falls from his lips is barely over a whisper. Despite his physical
condition, his heart and attitude are stronger than Floyd Mayweather in an
unfair fight.
The boy’s father and mother are also in the room with me
when he asks for us to unite hands in prayer. The teen boy directs his father
to hold his hand. As the warmth of his father’s hand pressed into his son’s
hand, the boy admits to his dad, “You are the strongest man I know - next to
God.”
His dad isn’t a millionaire nor is he the cover model for a
muscle magazine. Yet, the fact that he is consistently in his son’s life,
taking care of him, praying with him, and loving on him, his strength is beyond measure.
As a parent, I want my son to see me that way. I want to be
his picture of strength. I used to hang from my dad’s arm as a child and marvel
at his strength but I was more impressed by his love. It doesn’t matter how
many hours you spend in the gym, how many supplements you take, or how powerful
you are as a business professional. Your strength as a dad, a parent, or
caregiver is in your compassion and love.
The young boy’s mom told me something also while I was
visiting. She expressed that her son has outlived many other youth who carry
her son’s same sickness. I now
believe that that boy’s strength to survive is in God as well as in the way he
honors his parents who love God and have given him a reason to live.
Your love
helps your children live!
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